Cornelius Sends for Peter
1<1161> There wasa certainmaninCaesareacalledCornelius,a centurionofthe bandcalledthe Italian[band],2[A] devout[man], andone that fearedGodwithallhishouse,whichgavemuchalmsto the people,andprayedto Godalway.3He sawina visionevidentlyaboutthe ninthhourof the dayan angelof Godcoming intohim,andsayingunto him,Cornelius.4Andwhen he lookedon him,he wasafraid,andsaid,Whatis it,Lord?Andhe saidunto him,Thyprayersandthinealmsare come upfora memorialbeforeGod.5AndnowsendmentoJoppa,andcall for[one] Simon,whosesurname isPeter:6HelodgethwithoneSimona tanner,whosehouseisbythe sea side:heshall telltheewhatthououghtestto do.7Andwhenthe angelwhichspakeunto Corneliuswas departed,he calledtwoof hishousehold servants,anda devoutsoldierof them that waited onhimcontinually;8Andwhen he had declaredall [these] thingsunto them,he sentthemtoJoppa.
Peter's Vision
(Leviticus 11:1-47;Deuteronomy 14:1-21)
9<1161> On the morrow,as theywent on their journey,anddrew nighunto the city,Peterwent upuponthe housetopto prayaboutthe sixthhour:10Andhe becamevery hungry,andwouldhave eaten:butwhile theymade ready,hefellintoa trance,11Andsawheavenopened,anda certainvesseldescendinguntohim,asit had been a greatsheetknitat the fourcorners,andlet downtothe earth:12Whereinwereall mannerof fourfooted beastsof the earth,andwild beasts,andcreeping things,andfowlsof the air.13Andthere camea voicetohim,Rise,Peter;kill,andeat.14ButPetersaid,Not so,Lord;forI havenevereatenany thingthat is commonorunclean.15Andthe voice[spake] untohimagainthe second time,WhatGodhath cleansed,[that] callnotthoucommon.16<1161> Thiswas donethrice:andthe vesselwas received upagainintoheaven.
Peter Summoned to Caesarea
17NowwhilePeterdoubtedinhimselfwhatthis visionwhichhe had seenshould mean,behold,the menwhichwere sentfromCorneliushad made enquiryfor Simon'shouse,and stoodbeforethe gate,18Andcalled,and askedwhetherSimon,whichwas surnamedPeter,were lodgedthere.19WhilePeterthoughtonthe vision,the Spiritsaidunto him,Behold,threemenseekthee.20Arisetherefore,and get thee down,andgowiththem,doubtingnothing:forIhave sentthem.21ThenPeterwent downtothe menwhichwere sentuntohimfromCornelius;and said,Behold,Iamhe whomye seek:what[is] the causewhereforeye are come?22Andthey said,Corneliusthe centurion,a justman,andone that fearethGod,andof good reportamongallthe nationof the Jews,was warned from Godbyan holyangelto sendfor theeintohishouse,andto hearwordsofthee.23Thencalled hethemin,and lodged[them]. Andon the morrowPeterwent awaywiththem,andcertainbrethrenfromJoppaaccompaniedhim.
Peter at Caesarea
24Andthe morrowafter they enteredintoCaesarea.AndCorneliuswaited forthem,and had called togetherhiskinsmenandnearfriends.25AndasPeterwascoming in,Corneliusmethim,and fell downathis feet,and worshipped[him].26ButPetertookhimup,saying,Stand up;Imyselfalsoama man.27Andas he talkedwith him,he went in,andfoundmanythat were come together.28Andhe saiduntothem,Yeknowhowthat it isan unlawful thingfor a manthat is a Jewto keep company,orcome untoone of another nation;butGodhath shewedmethat I should notcallanymancommonorunclean.29Thereforecame I[unto you] without gainsaying,as soon as I was sent for:I askthereforefor whatintentye have sent forme?
30AndCorneliussaid,FourdaysagoI wasfastinguntilthishour;andat the ninthhourI prayedinmyhouse,and,behold,a manstoodbeforemeinbrightclothing,31Andsaid,Cornelius,thyprayeris heard,andthinealmsare had in remembrancein the sightof God.32SendthereforetoJoppa,andcall hitherSimon,whosesurname isPeter;heis lodgedinthe houseof [one] Simona tannerbythe sea side:who,when he cometh,shall speakunto thee.33ImmediatelythereforeI senttothee;andthouhast welldonethat thou art come.Nowthereforeareweallhere presentbeforeGod,to hearall thingsthat are commandedtheeofGod.
The Gentiles Hear the Good News
34ThenPeteropened[his] mouth,and said,Ofa truthI perceivethatGodisnorespecter of persons:35Butineverynationhe that fearethhim,andworkethrighteousness,isacceptedwith him.36The wordwhich[God] sentunto the childrenof Israel,preachingpeacebyJesusChrist:(heisLordof all:)37That word,[I say], yeknow,which was publishedthroughoutallJudaea,and beganfromGalilee,afterthe baptismwhichJohnpreached;38HowGodanointedJesusofNazarethwith the HolyGhostandwith power:whowent aboutdoing good,andhealingallthat were oppressedofthe devil;forGodwaswithhim.39Andwearewitnessesof all thingswhichhe didbothinthe landof the Jews,andinJerusalem;whomthey slewand hangedona tree:40HimGodraised upthe thirdday,andshewedhimopenly;41Notto allthe people,butunto witnesseschosen beforeofGod,[even] to us,whodid eatanddrink withhimafterherosefromthe dead.42Andhe commandedusto preachunto the people,andto testifythatit ishewhichwas ordainedofGod[to be] the Judgeof quickanddead.43To himgiveallthe prophetswitness,that throughhisnamewhosoeverbelievethinhimshall receiveremissionof sins.
The Gentiles Receive the Holy Spirit
(Joel 2:28-32;John 14:15-26;John 16:5-16;Acts 2:1-13;Acts 19:1-7)
44While Peteryetspakethesewords,the HolyGhostfellonallthem which heardthe word.45Andthey ofthe circumcisionwhich believedwere astonished,as many ascame withPeter,becausethat onthe Gentilesalsowas poured outthe giftof the HolyGhost.46Forthey heardthemspeak withtongues,andmagnifyGod.ThenansweredPeter,47Canany manforbidwater,that theseshouldnotbe baptized,whichhave receivedthe HolyGhostaswell aswe?48Andhe commandedthemto be baptizedinthe nameof the Lord.Thenprayed theyhimto tarrycertaindays.
